Cinis: A Short Story

For the following four days, I rarely spoke. I found no reason to speak to the others, and they themselves were reluctance to engage in a conversation with me. Even Alexander didn’t bother me with questions and I reveled in the solitude. The four days passed uneventfully, but on the fifth day, it was a day for talking. It was the twenty-fourth of Amarum, a day before the beginning of Cinis. Amarum was also over, and according to Caine, so were our travels in the Risteen. Today would be the day we would see a horizon not cluttered with trees, but one of grasses and fields. I was almost excited. Almost. “Listen!” Shabine exclaimed. “Birds!” The group fell quiet for a moment, listening to the revived sounds of the forest. Sure enough, a small …show more content…

I can travel faster alone,” I said. “There’s a quote about that: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Society was built on teamwork and unity, not a bunch of people hating each other.” “So? I don’t care about society. A lone wolf can do plenty of harm by itself,” I pointed out.” “And a pack of them can do even more. There’s a reason why cooperation within individuals is so common among animals. It’s useful. I doubt the hellhounds would have been any threat at all, if you were just facing off against one.” I shook my head. “Why not talk about the wire spider then? I didn’t see a pack of them, yet it was dangerous enough.” “You still can’t deny that a cluster of spiders would do more harm than a single one.” “If you’re lethal enough, having a dozen more versions of you won’t help you kill a victim.” “It’ll helps you survive.” “But it won’t help the others survive,” I said. “Don’t you think I’ve fallen in with others before? Newsflash, I’ve have, and it’s never ended well.” “Because of them?” he guessed. “Who else would kill dozens of innocents to just get to one …show more content…

Do you really think I’m going to travel to Artis on foot? I may be reckless, but I’m not insane,” I replied. “I’d say you’re a bit a both, but they aren’t always bad traits.” ~ The vampire was right. Less than an hour later, the end of the forest was visible. It was nothing more than the absence of trees, yet it brought so much joy. I simply wanted to be done with all this and on my merry way. A minute later, we were at the tree line, and after several more steps, we were out. There was a large field before us, a mostly lifeless one. The dark, damp soil was poorly concealed by thin brown stalks with shriveled leaves, long dead vegetation that was unable to survive the cold. A light covering of leaves seeped out a from the forest, the once bright colors faded and dull. The sky was overcast, the air cold, but the Risteen was behind us. “You can go play for a moment,” Alexander said to an overexcited Ekaterina. “Just don’t go too far. We’ll call you back soon.” She didn’t need to be told twice, and was off running in a second, a stumbling Viorel in tow. A moment later, we all jumped as Ekaterina shouted to the sky, “FREEDOM!” It was amazing how loud a little child could be. “Kieron,” Alexander said quietly. “You want to do it